Happy Birthday, Greg Sanders
by All-For-Szmanda
Summary: Oneshot I wrote of Nicky and Greg going out for a celebration for Greggo's birthday. R&R and I love you


**A/N: So I just realized I wrote this as if Nick and Greg worked the dayshift, so in some perfect parallel universe this oneshot would make sense. So let's just pretend for a day that the CSIs work the dayshift. Kay? Thanks. :3**

The steaming hot water took me over all at once as I stepped into the shower. Instead of a quick wash, I sat down in the bathtub and let the water pour down on my body. I just wanted to think.

I've got the day off today, along with Nick. I have of because it's my birthday, and Nicky took the day off so he could spend the day with me. He insisted he took me to the boardwalk for arcades, rides and fireworks. I thought it was cheesy, but I wasn't just gonna say no. he wanted to celebrate with me, and we can actually have some guy time off the job. I'm honestly very excited for tonight.

I finished washing my dirty blonde hair and body and got out of the shower. I plugged my iPod into its dock and put on Marilyn Manson and blasted it through the house. As I ran a towel through my hair and sang alone to Tourniquet, I thought of what to wear. My final outfit ended up being a black long sleeved tee and dark faded jeans with converse. Good enough, I thought.

I ran a bomb through my hair and put gel in it to keep it up. Okay. Now I'm ready to go. I turned on my TV to find out I had been watching Criss Angel Mindfreak on Netflix. I guess I'll just keep watching it until Nicky gets here.

After 20minutes of illusions and card tricks, there was a knock at my apartment door. "It's open!"

"Hey Greggo!" Nick said with the signature smile on his face.

"Hi," I replied, standing up. We pounded fists and I shut off my TV.

"So, the second you get a day off you spike up your hair like old times, huh?" He commented, making my cheeks go red. "Come on, I'm just kidding." He punched my shoulder lightly. "You wanna go?"

"Sure." I grabbed my wallet and we headed out.

Once we finally found a spot, I was ecstatic. It was getting dark out, the lights from the arcades and rides casting a shadow on the crowds of people and the palm trees. It was all very beautiful. We didn't talk much at first, and the silence was actually comforting.

"So," Nick said, interrupting my thoughts. "Pizza?"

"Sounds good." I said back. We headed over to Luigi's and sat at a checkered table.

"Hey! I'm Ivy, and I'll be serving you tonight." A spunky blonde greeted us. "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

Nick and I exchanged a glance, and I spoke up. "I'll have a diet Pepsi, please."

"And I'll take a coke."

"Sure thing! I'll be right out with your drinks." Ivy smirked and winked, then walked away.

Once we were done with our pizzas, Ivy came back with a bill. Nick insisted he payed, even though the place is cheap. When Nick wasn't looking, I slipped $10 tip and wrote my phone number for Ivy.

"You wanna go?"

"Yeah. We should hit the arcade."

We both stood as Nick said, "I'll show you who's boss at ski-ball."

"Oh, it's on!"

We laughed together and headed down toward the arcade. We finally got to Lucky Leo's and ran to the ski-ball lanes like little kids. "First to 1000 winds!"

"Wins what?" Nick laughed.

"Well, whatever they want!" I replied, smiling.

We sat there for what felt like hours, until we both ran out of cash and change. "I believe I won that one," Nick joked.

"Let's go see what you can get with all these tickers," I said, with my arms overflowing with the little purple stubs. We walked out of the place looking like total fools. I had a plastic green dance hat and gold beaded necklaces, t least 10 of them, and Nick had orange and yellow leis and glow-stick bracelets AND nerd glasses. They even had the tape in the middle.

There was a crowd forming in the direction we were walking. "What's going on?" Nick asked.

"Who knows?" I said back with a mouthful of cotton candy. We decided to see what's up. It turns out the one-and-only Criss Angel was performing illusions for the locals.

"Oh my god."

"Wow."

"How is he doing that?"

The crowd was going nuts. Criss just levitated onto a bench! It was truly astonishing. We watched the rest of the show, which was mostly card guessing, mind hypnosis, and the needles-and-string classic bit.

"You know, I always wondered how he gets the needles out his belly button the way he does," I said.

"And the way he can levitate practically anything!" Nick exclaimed.

"Oh, don't even get my started," I replied, laughing.

We walked down the boardwalk together, cracking jokes and just silly nonsense. This is the stuff I live for, quality time off the job. Every now and then I'd glance over at Nick, just to see him and the creases at the corners of his eyes I knew so well. He'd always say they were from age, but I'd assure him they were from smiling.

"Where to now, Greggo?"

"To the casinos. There's fireworks Thursdays." Ever since I was a kid I loved watching the fireworks. I figured I'd share a childhood memory with my best friend.

There were a bunch of people looking up to the stars in anticipation once we got to the casino part of the boards. Nick and I sat on a bench toward the back, keeping a good view, yet also avoiding a crowd. We shared a bag of cotton candy, and the first blast made us both jump. The gold sparks fluttered through the sky and died down over the horizon. It was gorgeous. After the gold came red, and blue, and green. It was always a wonder when I was a kid how the fireworks lit up such bright colors and how they always formed perfect circles. Now that I work with chemicals on a daily bases, it makes sense to me.

When the show ended, Nicky and I stood. I put my hands in my jean pockets as we walked toward Nick's truck. "Did you have a good birthday, Greggo?"

I laughed. "Quit it, you sound like my dad." I looked over to my friend, and he looked hurt. "Oh come on! I'm only kidding."

"You never answered my question," he said, smiling.

"I had an awesome birthday-" I yawned, "-one of the best. Thank you, Nick."

"You're welcome. Yanno, you can call me up any time and we can go out for the day. It's not like we have anyone else we gotta spend time with, yanno?"

Then I thought of Ivy. I wonder if she'll ever give me a call. She probably has a boyfriend though.

"Greggo?" Nick's voice brought me back to reality.

"Huh?"

"Did you hear anything I just said?"

"No, I was totally out of it right there. What?"

"I asked if I could crash at your place tonight. I'm gonna pass out any second and I really don't want to drive across town like this."

"Sure, whatever, you can sleep on the couch," I said with a yawn. Nick parked his truck In a spot next to my Denali in the apartment complex parking lot. We strode into my place sleepily and Nick fell onto the couch and grabbed my TV remote. "What's on?"

"How am I supposed to know?" I joked. I went into my bedroom and changed into sweatpants. Not even bothering to to put on shirt, I went into the living room. "I need a smoke. Want one?"

"Nah, I'm good. Trying to quit, you know,"

" 'Kay." I went out to my front porch and lit up a Newport. Nick was sleeping already when I came back in, so I shut the light off.

I shut off my bedroom light too and snuggled into my bed. Right when I was almost completely out, my phone buzzed and lit up my room, burning my eyes. The text was from an unknown number. Who could _that_ be?

_'Hey, it's Ivy ;)'_

**A/N: FINALLY posted this! I've been working on it for weeks! I dedicate this totally awesome oneshot to Lotzalove, so yeah. REVIEW :D**


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